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Artillery in Auckland evolved from the Coastguard Volunteers by way of the Auckland Naval Volunteers, hardly surprising given the large coastline and the importance of the Auckland isthmus to the commercial life of the country. In 1860, the Auckland Coastguard Volunteers was formed, becoming the Auckland Naval Volunteers in 1862. Although reorganisations took place almost every year, the most significant occurred in 1863, 1885, 1886, 1900, 1911, 1921, and 1937. Nineteenth century units were centred in Devonport, Onehunga, Ponsonby, Thames and Auckland, changing their designations often. The first two decades of the twentieth century saw fewer units. The 1920s had several reorganisations in a Field Brigade structure, and Auckland was prepared for World War 2 with coastal artillery in three Artillery Groups.

Auckland artillery units:    1860-1900   |   1901-1937

To use the diagrams, look down a column to see the changes for a particular unit and across a row to see which units were in existence at one time.
There are two diagrams for each time zone.

Naval Artillery and Artillery Volunteer Units in Auckland 1860-1900

Auckland Coastguard Volunteers 1860-1862
Auck Naval Vol: 1862	No 1 Coy 1863	No 2 Coy 1863-1872	Onehunga Naval Vol 1863-1866	Thames Naval Vol 1869
	Auck Vol Naval Bde 1873
NZ Naval Artillery Volunteer Corps (Auck Div): 1885	Auck NAV 1883	Thames NAV 1883	Devonport NAV 1884-1887	Ponsonby (Auck) NAV 1885	Onehunga NAV 1885-1889	Auck Naval Coastguard Vol 1885
1st Bn Auck Naval Vol 1886-1889 Auck Div Naval Arty Vol 1886-1889	Auck NAV	Thames NAV	Devonport NAV	Ponsonby (Auck) NAV	Onehunga NAV	Auck Naval Coastguard Vol	Waitemata NAV 1886-1889
	Auck NAV			Ponsonby NAV	Devonport Coastguard Arty Vol

	Auck Naval Arty Vol 1868
	Auck Arty Vol 1870-1874
	Auck Arty Vol 1874
	A Bty NZ Regt of Vol Arty 1878	O Bty NZ Regt of Vol Arty 1885-1891
1st (North Island) Artillery Brigade NZ Regiment of Volunteer Artillery 1886 Auckland Batterys:	'A' (Auck) Bty	'O' (Parnell) Bty
	A Bty NZ Regt of Vol Arty

Artillery Volunteer Units in Auckland 1901-1937

	No 1 Coy NZ GAV (Auck NAV)	No 8 Coy NZ GAV (Ponsonby NAV)	No 9 Coy NZ GAV (Devonport Coastguard Arty)
	No 1 Coy NZ GAV (Auck NAV)	No 8 Coy NZ GAV (Ponsonby NAV)	No 9 Coy NZ GAV (Devonport Coastguard Arty)
NZ Garrison Artillery Volunteer Regiment 1911	No 1 Coy NZ GA 1911	No 6 Coy NZ GA 1911	No 7 Coy NZ GA 1911
Lapsed 1921	Amalgamated with 7 Coy as 13th Coast Bty NZA HQ Auck, 1921	18th (6" How) Bty NZA HQ Auck 1921	Amalgamated with 1 Coy as 13th Coast Bty NZA 1921
		18th Med Bty NZA 1924
Northern Coast Artillery Group: HQ Auck 1926	13th Coast Bty NZA	18th Med Bty NZA 1924	20th Lt Bty (How) 1931
1st Heavy Arty Gp: HQ Devonport 1937	13th Hvy Bty	1st AA Gp: HQ Devonport 1937	18th AA Bty 1936	1st Searchlight Coy 1937

	A Bty Regt of NZ Fd Arty 1903	K Bty NZ Fd Arty Vol (Hamilton) 1911
	A Bty NZ Fd Arty	G Bty NZ Fd Arty Vol 1911
Auckland Field Artillery Brigade: 1911	A Bty NZ Fd Arty	G Bty NZ Fd Arty
1st Field Artillery Brigade 1921	1st (18pr) Bty NZA HQ Auck 1921	2nd (18pr) Bty NZA HQ Hamilton 1921	3rd (18pr) Bty NZA HQ Auck 1921	4th (4.5" How) Bty HQ Auck 1921	20th Pack Bty NZA HQ Auck 1921
1st Field Brigade NZA: 1924	1st Fd Bty NZA	2nd Fd Arty Bde NZA disbanded 1929	3rd Fd Bty NZA	4th Fd Bty NZA (How)	20th Pack Bty NZA (How)	21st Fd Bty HQ Onehunga 1925
Northern Field Artillery Group 1926-1929 Under Cmdr 1st Fd Arty Bde 1926	"	"	"	"	20th Lt Bty (How) 1931	"
1st Arty Bde Gp: HQ Narrowneck 1937	1st Fd Bty (18pr) Auckland	2 Med Bty Hamilton	3rd Fd Bty (18pr) Auck	4th Fd Bty (4.5" How) Auckland	20th Fd Bty (3.7" How)	21st Fd Bty (18pr)

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